Turn table truck fire extension ladder



(No Model;)

W. F. HYDE. TURN TABLE TRUCK EIEE EXTENSION LADDER.

Patented Feb. 16

Qll

2 I'l M I I I I I I I l l !l I I I I I I I I I I'I I IE m N4 PETERS.PhMo-Lilhugmphar, Washinglnn. D Q

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM F. HYDE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EVERETT B. PRESTONAND GEORGE E. PRESTON, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

TURN-TABLE TRUCK FIRE EXTENSION-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,519, dated February16, 1886.

Application filed November 30, 1885. Serial No. 184,250. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FREDERICK HYDE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Turn-Table TruckFire EX- tension-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to turn-tables for fire extension-ladders, andmore particularly to certain improvements upon the fire extension laddershown and described in Letters Patent No. 319,047, of June 2, 1885; andit consists in the novel devices and novel combinations of devicesherein shown,and more particularly pointed out in the claims, wherebythe operation of raising and lowering the ladder and turning andadjusting it to different positions is facilitated.

The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, andin which similar letters of reference indicate like parts,

show at Figure 1 a side elevation of a device embodying the invention.Fig. 2 is a plan View. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of the lad der. Fig.4 is a cross-section through the turn-table. Fig. 5 is a detail viewshowing the friction-rollers, the upper plate of the turntable beingbroken away; and Fig. 6 is an end view of the screw and its operatingside shafts.

In said drawings, A represents the truck or wagon upon which the ladderis mounted; B, the stationary ring of the turn-table secured to saidtruck, and B the revolving ring or plate thereof, upon which the ladderis mounted.

0 represents the main ladder; G, the standards or supports upon which itis pivoted near its lower end; 0 G braces to support and strengthen theladder on each side of its pivot.

D is a slideway secured to the upper ring of the turn-table; E, atraveling nut or block moving back and forth in said slideway; F, theoperating'serewjournaled at each end in suitable bearings, F, on theslideway, and G is a pivotal link connecting the traveling nut or blockE with the lower end of the ladder or its braces.

H is a bevel-gear keyed or otherwise se-= cured to the operating end ofthe screw F,

and h h are bevel-gears meshing therewith on shafts h h, which arejournaled on suitable brackets, HII, secured to the upper or revolvingring of the turn-table.

H H H are cranks with which the shafts h h,and also the end of the screwF, are provided. The bevel-gears h 71. are or should be of smallerdiameter than the gear H, with which they mesh, so as to give additionalleverage or power to the operatingcrank. The side shafts, 71 h, andtheir cranks afford a means of raising or lowering the ladder withoutremoving the horses or the tongue from the wagon, and also when the endof the truck abuts against buildings or is in such positions that thecrank at the end of the screw F cannot be used. This is often a matterof great convenience as well as dispatch in raising the ladder, and forthis reason is of great importance, because a few moments delay mayresult in losing life in aburning building; and in such positions wherethe crank can be applied to the end of the screw F the three cranksafford means for more men to work at the same time,so that the laddercan be raised or lowered much more quickly. IVhen the ladder is elevatedin an inclined position, a considerable binding strain is thereby thrownupon the two rings or plates of the turn-table, so that it is often verydifficult to turn or swing the turn-table and ladder into differentpositions.

To facilitate the revolution of the revolv ing ring 13 of the turn-tablewithout in any manner interfering with its flat and firm bearing uponthe stationary ring 13, so that the ladder mounted upon the former willnot be subject to any rocking or vibration on account of any loosenessbetween the two rings of the turn-table, a number of holes or slots, b,are bored or otherwise formed in one of the rings, as B, and smallfriction-rollers b I) inserted therein, so that the movable ring of theturn-table will have a bearing thereon. These little frictionrollers maypreferably be about one inch in length and a half or threequarters of aninch in diameter, with slightly rounding or tapering ends, as indicatedin Figs. 4 and 5. The rollers b may be secured in place by a plug orscrew, 12*, in the end of the slotor hole I). The hole I) shouldpreferably extend radially nearly across the upper face of r the ring B,and two, three, or more frictionrollers should be inserted in each slot.By making the friction-rollers short and employing several in each slotthey can accommodate themselves in their revolution to the differentpositions they severali y occupy from the center of the turn-table. Theholes or slots b should preferably be about twelve in number, and shouldbe located equidistant apart around the turntable rings B B. A greateror less number of slots may however be employed when desired. As themain ladder O is often of considerable length, and has also to supportone or more extension-ladders, it is difficult to so construct the mainladder that it will not sway and bend when in an inclined position,especially when one or more men have ascended-the ladder and its freeend has no support against the building, and such vibration of theladder tends to produce an irregular or jerky strain upon the raisingand lowering mechanism, and thus interfere with its easy and properoperation; and to prevent this as much as possible without addingmaterially to the weight of the ladder, which would render it much moredifficult to raise and lower, I provide the main ladder with tie-rods ortrusses NN, extending along each rail or side of the ladder, on the topthereof, and secured at each end by suitable bolts, 71.. These trussesor tie-rods pass over a number of knees or projections, a, by which theyare separated from the ladder-rails, so as to more effectuallystrengthen and brace the same. The lower end of the truss-rods should besecured to the wrought-iron or steel socket or heel-piece N, whichembraces and strengthens the pivoted end of the ladder. By this meansavery rigid construction is given to the whole ladder.

The knees or projections n are provided with flanges n fitting flat uponthe top edge ofthe ladder-rails, and may be secured thereto by screws. Aturnbuckle, a near the middle of each tie-rod serves to tighten thesame. By this means the main ladder may be made Very stiff and strong,and atthe same time comparatively light, so that it can be easily andquickly elevated or lowered, and any irregular or jerky strains upon theraising and lowering mechanism will be prevented.

While the improvements herein have been shown and described inconnection with the extensionladder patented in said Letters Patent No.319,047, they are capable of use upon other turn-tableextension'ladders.

The upper or movable ring, B, of the turn table is composed of two partsbolted together, so as to receive or embrace the shoulder on the ring B.

In the drawings I have only shown the main ladder, as the constructionand operation of the upper or extension ladders which slide on the mainladder are well known, and my invention does not pertain thereto.

. I claim 1. The combination, with a turn-table truck and a laddermounted thereon, of a screw for raising and lowering the said ladder,provided with a gear near one end and a crank-shaft having a gearmeshing therewith, said crankshaft extending to the side or at an angleto said screw, said screw and crank-shaft being both mounted on therevolving ring of said turntable, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a turntable truck and a pivoted ladder mountedthereon, a screw for raising and lowering the ladder, provided with abeveled gear, and a crankshaft having a beveled gear meshing with thebeveled gear on said screw, said screw and crankshaft being both mountedon the revolving ring of said turn-table, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a turn-table truck and a pivoted ladder mountedthereon, of a screw, F,bevel-gear H,secured thereto, erankshafts h h,and bevel-gears thereon, h h, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with a turn-table tru 0k and a pivoted laddermounted thereon, of a screw, F, having a crank, H, on its end. bevelgearH, shafts h h, having bevel-gear h h, and cranks H H, substantially asspecified.

\VILLIAM F. HYDE.

Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND ADOOCK.

